Never Coming Home
by Kurama'sGirl88
Summary: OneShot. I promise you, I will come home. When Yusuke and the others have to go to war, will he be able to keep his promise? Or will someone's life be lost?


Author's Note: Hi everyone! Ok, summer's here for me, so all my stories will be updated! Yay! I hope you like this one-shot. I'm sad right now, as this story shows. Oh, and it's like in the World War 2 era—I'm not saying it's that war, but it's that time. There's no draft now, as you all know. Ok, let's go!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.

As the boat's keel made its silent way toward the cloudy shore, all Yusuke could feel was fear. He clutched the barrel of his gun tightly, desperately trying to swallow the bile that was rising in his throat. No use; the raven haired boy leaned over the boat's side and retched until his gut was on fire. A hand rested comfortingly on his back.

"Just don't think about it."

Yusuke's companion, Kurama, removed his hand and sat back, laying his own gun across his knees. His red hair stood out brightly against the slate gray sky and ocean.

"Aren't you afraid?" Yusuke asked, his voice hoarse. Kurama kept his emerald gaze fixed forward, and when he answered it was barely a whisper.

"Yes."

Yusuke sat up, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth miserably. He looked at the crowd of soldiers in the boat, knowing that his two other friends, Hiei and Kuwabara, were somewhere among them. The nineteen-year-old's thoughts flew back to the day he had found out that they were going to be drafted.

"_Keiko, they've called us." Yusuke kept his gaze downward, focusing on the checkered tablecloth in front of him. He tried to ignore his fiancée's choked gasp._

"_What? All four of you? When?" she asked. _

"_Yeah, all four of us. We leave in three days," he replied. Finally, the boy looked up. The sparkling tears in Keiko's eyes hurt him badly. Trying to be strong, he wiped them away._

"_Don't worry, babe. Everything's gonna be just fine. We'll only be there for six months, and then we'll hurry on back."_

_Keiko covered his warm hand with her shaky one. "This can't be happening…" she said faintly._

_Yusuke leaned across the table and kissed her reassuringly on the cheek. "I promise, I will come home to you. All of us will."_

_Keiko smiled, some of her old spark coming back. "You'd better, mister. I can't lose my husband before I'm married!"_

Departing had been extremely painful. Many tears were shed as Yusuke, Kuwabara, Kurama, and Hiei had stepped onto the train that would take them to the docks. As he had slid the door shut behind him, Yusuke clutched tightly at the locket Keiko had given him.

_I promise I'll come back,_ he thought fiercely. _I promise._

The ships had taken them to the first base, and from there they had launched in these smaller boats toward the temporary encampment—and war.

Yusuke grabbed the locket once again. _I'll come home._

The keel scraped on sand, finally beaching itself in the slate gray water. On cue, the army jumped out and waded to the shore. Yusuke and Kurama struggled with their heavy equipment, keeping their guns high over their heads to prevent them from getting wet. Finally, they were on land. Their thick boots sank into the sand, making it difficult to walk.

"Urameshi!"

Yusuke turned to see Kuwabara and Hiei heading towards him. Both were wet from the waves.

"Where do we go now?" the carrot top asked. Kurama pointed farther inland.

"The base is a mile in. We just need to get there soon, before the enemy discovers that we've invaded."

Yusuke swallowed hard, trying to control his fear. "Let's go," he said. As he strapped his backpack more firmly on, he thought back to their first day on base.

_It was night. Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara were all sitting in the barracks, talking quietly as none of them could sleep._

"_I never thought I'd be here," Kuwabara said sadly. _

"_We all knew this would most likely happen," Hiei said matter-of-factly. "The war's been going on for years. They couldn't have lasted on volunteers forever."_

_Kurama, who was laying on his bunk, didn't reply at first. "I almost wish that they _had_ been able to last on volunteers."_

"_Almost?" Yusuke asked incredulously. "Why almost?"_

"_Because, as strange as it may sound, I am grateful to be here."_

"_Grateful?" Kuwabara reached up and felt Kurama's head. "You sure you're ok?"_

"_I'm fine." Kurama smiled. "You'll all most likely think I'm insane, but I'm glad that I was chosen."_

"_Once again, why?" Yusuke asked._

_Now Kurama sat up. "Think about it, Yusuke. If I hadn't been drafted, then my stepbrother would have, and he's only sixteen. And if you hadn't someone younger would have, too." He lay back down again. "I'd rather give up my chance at life than see someone barely out of childhood give up theirs. If I die, but because of my death one child lives, then I am content."_

"_You're too complicated," Kuwabara sighed._

"_I see the redhead's point," Hiei said. "I, for one, am also thankful that I can serve my country." Quieter, he added, "And protect my sister."_

_Yusuke lay down and yawned. "I'm going to bed. This is way too deep for me."_

_The other three laughed and went to bed, too. _

Goodnight, Keiko,_ Yusuke thought. _I love you.

The entire army made their slow but steady way in, desperate to reach the base. Yusuke and his group had just left the beach when the guttural roaring of plane engines ripped through the sky above them.

"We've been discovered! Gentlemen, weapons ready!" the commander shouted.

Yusuke dropped to his knees and loaded his gun, panic making his heart hammer so hard and fast that he was sure it would leap out of his chest. The planes came into view, flying alarmingly fast toward the beach. The grass around Yusuke and his friends erupted as bullets screamed down, plowing into the ground. Dirt and plants and sand flew up, momentarily blinding them.

A strangled cry sounded to the left of them.

"And so the first one falls," Hiei said grimly. He snapped his gun up to his shoulder, giving his friends a solemn half-smile. "It was an honor knowing you three."

"Shut up, none of us are going to die!" Kuwabara growled.

More screams were heard. The planes swooped by again, empting their guns into the army below them.

Suddenly, a sharp retort echoed very close to the four friends.

"Ground infantry's here!" Kurama shouted. He brought up his gun and fired, earning a cry as his bullet hit home.

The air cleared, and what Yusuke saw was hell. The enemy had come, and they outnumbered his army by three to one. He watched as men he had come to call brothers fought and fell, the bullets tearing paths through their mortal bodies.

A bullet kicked up sand next to him. The boy fell to the ground, leveling his gun.

"Yusuke!" Kurama cried.

"I'm ok!" he yelled back. He fired the gun, the kickback bruising his shoulder. He watched with detached horror as his bullet killed a man.

All four soldiers continually fired, taking down quite a few enemies. But there was too many. Much too many.

"Retreat!" Yusuke's commander screamed. "Retre-"

A bullet tore out his throat.

As Yusuke struggled to stand and run, he threw up violently, falling back down. Kuwabara grabbed him by the neck, setting him upright.

"Come on! We gotta go!"

The remnants of the army ran for the beach, still firing over their backs and trying to survive. It was mayhem. Screams sounded everywhere, layered with the gun retorts and the snarling of the plane engines. They were about a hundred feet from the shoreline when Kurama seemed to stop. The other three turned to stare curiously at their comrade. The redhead, now shockingly pale, brought his hand up to his stomach. Blood flowed over his smooth hand and dripped to the sand.

"K-Kurama?" Kuwabara asked.

Kurama jerked as two more bullets passed through him. He screamed in agony, the horrid sound torn out of his blood filled throat. He stumbled forward, a stream of blood dripping from his lips. He looked like a discarded puppet as he fell forward in a sprawled heap.

"KURAMA!" Yusuke screamed. The raven-haired teenager charged back towards his fallen friend. Hiei and Kuwabara grabbed him by the shoulders, dragging him back.

"KURAMA! LET ME GO, HE'S HURT! KURAMA!" Yusuke continued to scream. He fought desperately against his other two friends, who continued to half-carry, half-drag him towards the boats. He vainly struggled, but he couldn't break their holds.

"Yusuke, come on!" Hiei shouted. Tears slipped from his crimson eyes. "He's gone, he's gone! We can't save him! He's gone!"

Yusuke went limp, an empty look in his brown eyes as he stared at the body of his best friend. Kuwabara and Hiei threw him into a boat. One last soldier piled in and they beat a fast retreat.

Kuwabara cried openly, but Hiei didn't make a sound. He and Yusuke just sat there, gazing at the rapidly distancing shore, where Kurama and countless other men were laying. Vaguely, Yusuke became aware of a pain in his side. He looked down to see his darkening shirt. The blood plinked to the bottom of the boat.

Kuwabara noticed, too. "Medic!" he yelled. "We have a hurt man here!"

Yusuke slumped forward, cold spreading through his body. His friends' voices sounded farther and farther away.

_I'm…sorry, Keiko…I'm never…coming home._

**End**

**Author's Note: **Did you like it? I hope so. Please, please review and tell me what you think? Ok, thanks!


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